Filet Crochet a Sweater for all Seasons

This time of year the temperatures can vary quite a lot. The morning chill yields to the warming rays of the sun by afternoon. This is when I grab my go-to sweater —a perfect foil for the changing conditions. This season, Vintage Crochet’s Filet Crochet Cocoon Sweater inspired by William Morris is the one I am reaching for again and again!

The Filet Cocoon Sweater’s lovely drape is courtesy of Kristin Omdahl Yarns Be So Sporty 100% bamboo yarn.

Filet Crochet Cocoon Sweater Origins

Designer Robyn Chachula drew inspiration from William Morris’s well-known Strawberry Thief design for this stunning filet crochet sweater. William Morris (1834–1896) is one of the most prominent people from the nineteenth-century Arts and Crafts Movement. Robyn says, “Filet crochet is a favorite technique of mine. The repetitive blocks make it easy to crochet with a quick glance at your chart.” In this project, she married her twin passions: history and craft. Her ingenious design transforms a large triangle by connecting the points into a seasonless cardigan that can shield from the slightest nip in the air. Paired with the swingy drape of Kristin Omdahl Yarns Be So Sporty 100% bamboo yarn, this cardi flatters any figure. Although the crochet technique and motif are vintage, this sweater is anything but old fashioned!

The Filet Crochet Cocoon Sweater Inspired by William Morris is just one of 21 vintage inspired projects from the pages of the PieceWork’s special 2016 issue Vintage Crochet. Learn about crochet history and traditional techniques including Irish, filet, hairpin, tapestry, Tunisian, and more. These contemporary patterns are arranged into four sections--Town & Country, Accoutrements, At Home, and The Younger Set. Vintage Crochet brings together a modern sense of style with vintage charm.

The back filet panel is a re-imagining of the Strawberry Thief fabric designed by William Morris one of the most influential people of the Arts and Crafts Movement.

The combination of technique, yarn, and design come together in the Filet Cocoon Sweater Inspired by William Morris in such a way I think William Morris himself would approve! It is a true tribute to not only his work but to the art and craft of crochet. This fantastic piece will be reached for season after season.

Happy crocheting! Elizabeth

Posted November 21, 2016. Updated June 27, 2019.

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